Andrew j



No. 608,757. Patented Aug. 9, |898 A. UULBERTSUN.

PNEUMA'HC PRGPELLIMG MEANS FOR VESSELS.

(Applicatien filed Oct. 9, 1897\ (No Model.)

A rromvs rs.

t nrrnn Sterne PATENT i hlfihli Armani? J. OULBERlSON, or SAN Air-ohms, oAmronum, nss cnon 'ro Jenn w. SiR-OUGl-i, or SAME PLACE, AND EDWARD L. nouns. or CORONTO-GARGAD'ENUES,FOALIFORNIA.

rnsuivmrio Peoeerrme MnANs'FonvEsssLs.

SPECIFICilION forming part of Letters laizent No. 608,757, dated .August 9', i898. Application lilcd October 9, 1897. Serial'llm 654,671. (No model.)

To all whom it Duty concern.

130 it known that 1, ANDREW .i'. (JUL-BERT- songof San Andi-chain the county of Cainvcrns and State of California, have invented construction of 1, hullwherel'iy the water will have the least possible frictional engagement with the hull and whereby, further, itwill be rendered possible to interpose currents of air at various points between the hull and the water in which the hull rests for the dual purpose offorcing the vessel ahead. and as. sisting the driving mechanism employed and also preventing the writer from retarding the progress or the vessel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the currents of air which serve as e cushion may be utilized in steering the vessel or quickly turning its head to port or starboard.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several pin-te ns will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be ha l to the accompanying drawings, forming n part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a, longitudinal vertical section through zt'vessel having the improvement cp- PllQCl. Fig. is it bottom plan view of the hull. Fig. 3 is a. cross-section through the hull, taken at a, point near the bow. Fig. 4: is it longituriinatls ction through a portion of the bow, showing the air-pumps in side clevation and the manner in which the air is directed therefrom to channels or chambers at the'bottoni of the hull; and Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a row-boat to which the improvement is applied.

The improvement is applicable to boats of any description.

A represents the lntcriorof 2t bout, adopted. [or use in shallow water, and at the bottom of the hall longitudinal cleats 13 are formed. at each snlc of the keel l3. These cleats oX- tend practically froin'the bow to the stern, and between the cleats channels or chambers are formed. The lower (lock 11 is built in the usual manner overtlie bottom portion 112 of the hull, and on this lower ilcck ll, at

thebow oil the vessel, zrnumber of air-pumps 0r air-compressors C, 01"; any approved. construction, z relocnted, :in nir-puinp being provirlerl for each of the channels or chmnbers 10. The air-pumps are fitted with pipes 12.5,

which extend in the direction of the channels or chambers 10, its best shown 111 Fig. 3, and

auxiliary elbow-pipes 13 are connected with the outlet-pipes 13 of the airinups, preferably. by a slip-joint of any construction that will permit the elbow-pipes to more up and down and also turn upon the'outlet-pipes of the pumps. The clbowipes 115 inn-ybetcrnrcd. nii cxit pipes, and, normally, their outlets are contained Within the channels or chembers 10, facing the stern,- as shown in Fig.1. The air-exit pipes may be used at any time for assisting; the rudder in turning the Yesseh When so used,the air-exit pipes'nro dropped until their outlets are below the hull, and the pipes are then turned in a. dif

rcction to force the bow to one side or the" other by the impact of the column of air leaving the exit-pipes anti striking the water, as shown in Fig. l. The channels or chem-- bers 10 are open at the stern, so that the air introduced into them may iimln free exit. At the stern end of each elect l5 and at the stern eml of the keel 13 an auxiliary elect 14. is illustrated, the auxiliary cleats being substantially continuntions of the cleats of the keel or the main clear-ts at the bottom of the vessel. Each euxilinry'c'lczit is nlso shown as provided with an u pwztrdly-extending post 15, each post having a crzmloiirin 16, the Va,- rious crank-arms being connected by one or more links 17 or it suitable connecting-rod, so that all the auxiliary clgnts nmy be moved simultmieouslyin the same direction when (lOSlZ'GLl hO assist in steering; but the auxiliary cleats may be omitted, together with the parts connected therewith, ii desire-(1.

dueed into the chambers between the cleats the said cleats will serve as auxiliary heels or fins, and they will not in any manner interfere with the progress of the boat when air is not supplied to. the chambers or channels 10. The cleats B may be quite. shallow. In fact,'the width of the cleats or their dimen; sions will be governed largely by the character of the stream or body of water in which the boat is to do service,

\Vhen the pumps 0 arein operation, air is forced continuously into the channels or chambers from the bow, and the air will pass to the stern in wave-lines, as indicated in Fig. 1, and will present a cushion intervening thehnll and the water. Consequently the boat'will move to a greater extent on sheets or cushions of air than on the Water, although. the Water will engage with the auxiliary heels or the cleats. a

As heretofore stated, the connection between the pipes 13, leading from the air pumps, and the pipes 13, that direct the air to the channels or chambers, may be accomplished in an ywcll-known way. In the drawings each air-exit pipe 13 is shown as'provided with an upwardly-extending arm 18, terminating in a handle 19, and by means of the latter or'a lever connected therewith the air-exit pipe 13-may be vertically adjusted or turned to the right or to the left.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the application of the. improvement to a row-boat D, the boat being provided with .one or more, preferably two, air-compressors C. The pistoinrods 20 from, the air-compressors 'may be passed through suitable guides secured to the sides of the boat, and thence upward to an engagement with the handle portion of the carer scull 21,

or directly, as illustrated, the said attaehmcnt being made inside of the oar-lock 22. The invention is especially applicable to.

row-boats, racing-shells, and boats'of similar construction, in which, asshown in- Fig. 5, the oars or sculls may be utilized as pump levers or handles. This attachment to rowboats will render boating more pleasurable and will serve to increase the speed of boats and reduce the labor of rowing. When an attachment is made between the pistons of the oar-lock constitutes the hinge or pivot point, and the length of the rowing stroke will reg: ulate the stroke of the piston-rod.

Having thus' described my invention, I claim as new an: desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In the construction of vessels, a hull provided with a series of cleats arranged longitudinally. and forming a series of channels open at the bottom and at the stern, means, substantially as described, for forcing a buoyant material through said channels, and also for directing the buoyant material against the water below the cleats to assist in steering, substantially as described. 1 v 2. In the construction of vessels, a hull provided with a series of cleats arranged longitudinally, forming a series of channels open at the bottom and at the stern, air-comprcssors located above the channels, and pipes leading from the air-compressors into the said channels at the bow portion of the boat, the

said pipes being outlet-pipes forthe compress-. ors and constructed in sections, the lower sec tions-of the outlet-pipes being capable of v'cr- V tical andlatcral movement, as and for the pu'r pose set-forth. I

3. In the construction of vessels, a hull provided with avsories of longitudinal cleats in parallel arrangement, forming a series of paralle. chambers or channels open at the bottom and at the rear, air pumps connected with said' chambcrs or channels at their forward j ends, and a series of auxiliary rudders forming a continuation of each of said ribs, the

rudders being atthe rear, and meansfor-connecting the said auxiliary rudders, whereby they maybe simultaneously moved in direction of the port or the starboard side of the ves so], as and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses:

IRA HILL REED, ARTHUR I. McSonLnv;

ANDREW .i. euLn'nnrson. I

air-compressors and the ears or seulls, the 

